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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — thin
  4. deal — to handle
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. band — a music group
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. band — a ring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — to bend
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. band — a rubber band

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com